Special Readings or Prayers and Meditations
The Prayer for the Dead is to be used for Bahá'ís over the age of fifteen. "It is the only Bahá'í obligatory prayer which is to be recited in congregation; it is to be recited by one believer while all present stand. There is no requirement to face the Qiblih when reciting these prayers."
- A Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas)
The Prayer for the Dead is the only obligatory prayer. Other prayers, meditations or special readings may be used during a funeral service. The family of the deceased are free to select additional readings and prayers.
PRAYER FOR THE DEAD
O my God! This is Thy servant and the son of Thy servant who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and set his face towards Thee, wholly detached from all except Thee. Thou art, verily, of those who show mercy the most merciful.
Deal with him, O Thou Who forgivest the sins of men and concealest their faults, as beseemeth the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy grace. Grant him admission within the precincts of Thy transcendent mercy that was before the foundation of earth and heaven. There is no God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
Let him, then, repeat six times the greeting "Allah-u-Abhá," [one before each verse] and then repeat nineteen times each of the following verses:
We all, verily, worship God.
We all, verily, bow down before God.
We all, verily, are devoted unto God.
We all, verily, give praise unto God.
We all, verily, yield thanks unto God.
We all, verily, are patient in God.
(If the dead be a woman, let him say: This is Thy handmaiden and the daughter of Thy handmaiden, etc. ...)
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the information in these pages is accurate and in accordance with the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith. Springfield Funeral Home does not represent or speak on behalf of the Bahá'í community. Please defer to the Spiritual Assembly of Bahá'ís of your area if there is a discrepancy of information contained in these pages. We would appreciate being notified of any errors or omissions. Please send any such notices to contact@springfieldfuneralhome.com.
